Dental handpiece



April' 28, 1925.

W. J. TERRY DENTAL HANDPIECE Filed sept. 14:,v 1923 Lili CPI

Patented Apr. Z8, 192,5.

WALTER J. TERRY, OLE' SEATTLE, TJT-LSHINGTON.

DENTAL HANDPIECE.

Application filed September 14, 1923. Serial No. 662,764.

To all whom it may eminem.'

Be it known that l, VALTER J. Tanni', a citizen of the United States, residing' Seattle, county of King, and State et lashq ington, have invented new and use'tul linprovements in lental Handpieces; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, sueh as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention is the improving ot dental handpieces to make it possible to held the various implements at an angle so that it will be possible to reach the bnceal, labial, lingual, mesial, and distal snrt'aees easily and also the eliminating oi" corrosion in the handpiece by providing a spindle ol noncorrosive material, in the kn'urling of the metal sheath so that the vnleanite handle may be omitted making' it possible to boil the sheath Jfor sterilization a d also reducing the grip diameter' of the handpiece handle, and in the curving of the edges ot the spindle drive pulley to prevent the entting ot the driving` cord.

@ne object ot the invention is to provide a means hy which the different implements may be held at an angle in relation to the handpiece.

Another object ot the invention is to provide a means for holding' the ditierent impleinents at an angle which is interchange able so that any desired implement may he readily held to the handpieec.

Another object o'i the invention is to eliminate corrosion in the spindle. i

Another objeet of the invention 'is to reduce the diameter of the handle oil the handpiece so that it will be possible to have better control over the instrument 'for delicate wort.

And a further object oiI the invention is to provide `a pulley for the spindle which will not cnt the driving cord. i

With these ends in view the invention embodies a dental handpieee o'tl the Doriot style havinga phosphor bronze spindle, an all metal sheath, a pulley having' a groove with curved edges, an angle attachment having a bearing for the rear shaft separz'ited trom the rear case and placed between the two sections which'are screwed upon threads at each end of the bearing with the sleeve teleseoping over the bearing; and also a combination of ohne-ks for holding mandrels or impleinents.l

Other i'eatures and advantages ot the invention will be seen 'trein 'following' description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side view o'll a handnieee with part broken away. A

Figure 2 is a view showing the spindle.

Figure 5 3 is a view showing the all metal sheath.

Figure al is a sectional view showing' angle attachment.

Figure 5 is a view showing a chuck for holding' implements having` shanks with pins.

Figure (i is a view showing' a ehuek 'for holding` discs. V

Figure 7 is a view showing another chuck i'or holding dises or the like.

Figure 8 is a view showing' a screw jaw chuck for holding' implements with plain Shanks.

ln the drawings I have shown my improvements as they would appear in a handpieee of the Dorint style wherein numeral 1 indicates the handpieee, numeral Q the spndle, inimeral 3 the sheath er handle. nmnerz-il 4lthe pulley, and numeral 5 the ehnek easing.

rlhe spindle 2 may be made of pl A l bronze or any non-eorrosive material may be made in the design shown in i* 2 which is similar to spndles used in h pieces of this type. rlhe sheath 5? which snrronnds the spindle may be nia de as shown in Figure 3 and held to the bracket supporting' the spindle by a nat as shown in ure 1. Illhe sheath will have a flange 7 at its upper end by whieh it may be held by the nut 6 to the spindle bracket. rlhe outerl surface o'l the sheath is knurled between the points S and 9 to provide a gripping' snrt'ace so that the vnleanite sleeve ordinarily used as a handle may be omitted, thereby making' it possibley to reduce the diameter of the gripping surface so that it will he possible to obtain a steadier grip for delicate work; and being all metal it ean be boiled -tor-sterilization, whieh is impossible with the ordinary vulcanite grip.

The pulley a is provided with a V shaped slot 10, a knurled surface at one side of the slot as indicated by the numeral 11 and a hole in the center through which it is rigidly mounted on the upper end of the spindle. The edgeso't the V-shape slot are curved as shown at the points 12 and 13 so that as a eord is passed over the pulley and twisted the the edges of the slot or groove will not cutthe cord. The knurling only extends for a. short distance from the opposite side of the pulley so that it will not roughen the upper edge of the groove. The handpiece is also provided with a lock nut 14 and a long pin which goes through the spindle and which is provided with arthumbnut 15 by which it may be turned, for tightening the implement chuck in the lower end of the spindle. The entire device is supported in a bracket 16 which has a flexible joint at its outer end in which two small idler pulleys 17 and 18, Vover which the cord passes, are mounted.

The angle attachment shown in Figure 4 has a casing 19 that tits over the tip ot the sheath 3. The casing is provided 4with an opening 2O into which the tip of the sheath projects and a slot 21 into which a pin 22 on the side of the sheath extends to hold the casing from turning on the sheath. The lower end of the casing is provided with a recess 23 and at the end of the recess is a threaded portion 24 into which a threaded shank 25 on a bearing 26 is screwed to hold the bearings in the end of the casing. The bearing 26 has an opening through its center through which a shaft 2T with a collar 28 made integral therewith and a pinion 29 held to it by a pin 30 extends. The upper part of the shaft projects beyond the end of the easing so that it may be gripped in the end et the spindle. The bearing 26 has notches 31 in the sides by which it may be held with a wrench as it is being screwed into the angle sleeve 32. After it is screwed all the way into this sleeve the casing 19 may be screwed on to the shank 25 while the sleeve 32 is held by a wrench which grips it through the notches 33. It will be seen that the pinion 29 meshes with a similar pinion 34 on the chuck spindle The chuck spindle is supported in a casing 5 which has notches in its side.l and a threaded shank 36 that screws into a threaded hole 37 in the outer end ol the angle sleeve 32. The ehuckspindle may be made as shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 with means at its outer end for holding implements of different types and the pinion 34 held to its inner end by a pin 38.

In the design shown in Figure 5 the outer end of the chuck spindle is in the 'form of a hollow7 cylinder with slots 39 in its sides and small'transverse slots 40 at the inner ends of the former slots so that av shank having pins on the sides may be pushed through the longitudinal slots and then twisted so that the pin will be held in the transverse slot, thus making it possible to drive the implement in either direction.

In the design shown in Figure Y6 the outer end of the spindle is in the form of a cylinder with an opening 41 through its center into which a wire spring 42 with a cup shaped head 43 may be pressed to hold paper discs or the like on prongs 44 at the end of the cylinder.

ln the design shown in Figure 7 the outer end ot the spindle is provided with a threaded hole 45 into which a screw 4G may be screwed to hold a disc or the like and the outer end ot the spindle may be indented as shown between thepoints 47 and 48 and also provided with notches 49 by which it may be held with a wrench. The indented portion between the points 47 and 48 will cause emery dust 'trom the grinding wheel to Hy outward as it; moves backward, thcreby, throwing it away trom the joint 50. The outer end of the spindle shown in Figure 3 is constructed in the form of a screw chuck with a threaded sleeve 51 having slots 52 in it and a tapering nut which when screwed upon the sleeve will force the jaws inward and positively grip a shank that may be placed therein.

lt is understood that either et the designs shown may be used with the angle attach- It is also understood that other changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit ot the invention. @ne of which changes may be in the design of the spindle, another may be in the design of the sheath, another may be in the design or" the angle attachment, andV still another may be in the design ot the bracket at the upper end ot the handpiece.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoing description. To use the device it may be assembled as shown and by placing the attachment shown in Figure 4 over the tip oif the sheath it will be possible to hold dises. stones, or the like at a convenient angle for cleaning, grinding and polishing the buceal, labial, lingual, inesial and distal surfaces ot the teeth. lt will also be seen that by applying an angle attachment of this type the right or contraangle headpiece may be removed and replaced by removable chucks or mandrels in the form of a unit, comprising the z'gears, bearings, and mandrel for holding implements such as emery grinding wheels, paper polishing dises or wheels, rubber cleaning cups, cleaning brushes of different formsand also drills andcutting drills. The non-corrosive spindle in the headpiece will permit the h andpiece to work freely at all times as the sticking or hard turning of the spindle caused by rust and corrosion will be entirely eliminated. The usual wear or cutting kof the driving cords or belts which was caused by the sharp edges of the driving pulley when the handpiece is twisted-will also be eliminated as these edges have a `smooth ino curve. And the bulky holding surface caused by placing a vulcanite sleeve over the sheath will be entirely eliminated as the outer' surface of the sheath is knurled to provide a gripping surface. This also permits the sheath to be boiled when sterilized.

It will; therefore7 be seen that these improvements not only provide a dental handpiece of the Doriot style of a much higher quality but also make it possible to hold various implements at a convenient angle and with greaterI accuracy.

It should be further understood that the angular attachment can also be used on other type straight handpieces other than those of the Doriot style as hereinbefore described as it will be noted that the only change required to do so would be in changing measurements and shape of the sleeve 19 to correspond to other straight handpiece spindle sheaths.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A dental handpiecehaving a non-corrosive spindle, a sheath with its outer surface knurled around the spindle, a bracket for supporting the sheath and spindle; means for holding the spindle and sheath in the bracket, means for holding implements in the lower end of the spindle, a pulley at the upper end of the spindle having the inner edges of its grooves rounded and a knurled surface on one side of the groove, other pulleys mounted in a universal joint at the end of the bracket, and a suitable attachment that may be placed on the lower end of the handpiece in which suitable chucks may be placed for holding implements of different types; said attachment being made in two sections which are held together by a collar having threaded shanks on each end that screw into threaded holes in the sections and said collar forming a bearing for a shaft that` may be gripped in the lower end of the handpiece spindle so that it will rotate with it, which shaft has a pinion on its opposite end that meshes with a pinion on the chuck spindle.

2. A dental handpiece of the type described having a non-corrosive spindle, a sheath with a knurled outer surface; a pulley at the upper end of the spindle having the edges of its groove curved; means for supporting the spindle and sheath; other means for rotating the spindle; a sleeve that may be placed over the lower end of the sheath; a bearing that may be placed in the lower end of the sleeve that is provided with a collar that telescopes in the lower end of the sleeve: and a threaded shank at one end of the collar which screws into the sleeve; and another threaded shank at the opposite end of the collar that screws into an angular sleeve; a casing forming a bearing for a chuck spindle that may be screwed into the end of the angular sleeve; and suitable means for rotating the chuck spindle from the handpiece spindle.

3. A device of the class described having a spindle of a non-corrosive material; a sheath surrounding the spindle having its outer surface roughened to form a handle; a pulley at the upper end of the spindle having the edges of its groove rounded; means for supporting the spindle and sheath; means for holding implements in the lower end of the spindle; a sleeve having a shaft in ,its center that may be placed over the sheath so that the shaft will project into the spindle; a removable bearing with a telescoping` sleeve for the shaft in the lower end of the sleeve; another sleeve that may be screwed onto the shank at the outer end of the bearing; a pinion on the outer end of the shaft projecting into the latter sleeve; and a chuck with a pinion on its inner end to engage the former pinion as the chuck is placed in the end of the latter sleeve and a means in its outer end for holding implements.

VALTER J. TERRY. 

